Originally Posted by dougmc

They won't.

But you're confusing "no law requires it" and "it's a good idea".

It's a good idea to have ID with you. And your medical insurance card, some money, a cell phone if you've got it, tools to change a flat, etc.

But it's not against the law to not have these things with you.

Talking about carrying ID specifically, if the police don't stop you (and you don't end up unconscious), it doesn't matter. If they do stop you, they might ask who you are. Lying might earn you a trip to the local jail. But they certainly still can give you a ticket without ID.

The ID might be convenient in such situations (especially for the police), but there's also the benefit of "flexing your rights" (to not carry it) that might not be valuable to you, but could be valuable to others.